Sunny outlook for Weardale holiday lets thanks to free training

Business is booming for a Bishop Auckland holiday home company after the owner booked some free training to improve her digital marketing skills.

Katrina Love, who runs Sandy Carr Farm Holiday Cottage in Tow Law, has been putting theory into practice, using her new found digital marketing expertise to her advantage, with an online sales campaign that’s generated plenty of extra income.

She estimates that the skills gained on the ‘Boost Your Business’ course have contributed to a 25% increase in bookings for her holiday cottage let in the last six months.

Led by North-East enterprise agencies, ‘Boost Your Business’ is part of a £1m package of training support being rolled out to local organisations, as part of the regional skills and enterprise programme, Go>Grow.

Katrina’s new digital marketing skills are also helping to generate extra enquiries for a service she launched in February 2018.

On the back of new Twitter and Facebook activity, she’s picking-up more customers for her afternoon tea delivery business, which she expects to grow over the summer as demand soars.

Katrina, who found the course a real confidence booster, said: “Boost Your Business was excellent. I gained some great skills that are proving priceless in securing additional revenue.

“It’s also opened up opportunities for networking with other local businesses, which is proving beneficial. My diary is the busiest it’s been for months, and I’m now really excited about the opportunities for growth across all my businesses.”

Adam Clemerson, skills project manager for the North-East enterprise agencies, said: “Katrina’s a wonderful example of how start-ups and small businesses can tap into our courses to acquire new skills and win more work.

“She’s got a great portfolio of businesses so, armed with new skills, she has the tools, knowledge and confidence to go on to achieve even more and realise her ambitions for growth.”

Ivan Jepson, director of business development at Gateshead College, which manages the Go>Grow programme, said: “Free training through the Go>Grow programme provides a fantastic opportunity for ambitious business owners like Katrina to gain new skills and grow their businesses.

“It’s a fantastic initiative, which has already equipped thousands of people with useful new skills and I’m thrilled that Katrina’s business has achieved additional income on the back of her training.”

Go>Grow has the backing of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and the North East of England Chamber of Commerce.

Experts in the Go>Grow team will work to develop training that meets individual needs of businesses, or offer those who wouldn’t ordinarily undertake training programmes, the opportunity to access bespoke packages specific to their needs.

A tailor-made programme is then developed and delivered at any of the Go>Grow training provider sites, or within the premises of the individual businesses.